Arcade
A mass-printed flyer warns of a changeling criminal. Even in a drawn image, he looks dangerous. The changeling by the name of Arcade bears an extensive number of tattoos, and is strikingly handsome and talkative. His combat prowess is exceptional, both in martial and arcane arts, and he doesn't seem to take life very seriously. A known and nefarious criminal, Arcade had a significant bounty placed on his head, dead or alive. Murder, arson, theft and fraud, his reputation for being a skilled and highly dangerous brigand preceeded him, even to the edges of civilization. He escaped from conviction in New Luxberg, and moved beyond the wall in an attempt to escape the law. Though he was captured and successfully incarcerated in Hammer, he apparently escaped from his imprisonment by the month of Tarsakh, making him once again at large. The Pathfinders originally believed to have found Arcade's trail at some ruins near the Lost Highway on the Northern Badlands' side of the gorge. According to a conversation with The Arch-Psion, the Pathfinders would find Arcade "on the beach," and a Commune suggested that he was located on the Rheic Shores. The Pathfinders used powerful divination to track down Arcade, who was indeed lounging by the seaside, and teleported directly to him. Despite the sudden encounter, the outlaw was not surprised by them, as apparently his god had given him advance warning of their eventual arrival. After a fierce battle, the spellslinging swordsman was wounded and so decided to retreat to the Shadow Plane. The Pathfinders continued to track him, and managed to pinpoint the location where he would return to the Material Plane in order to set up an ambush. When he appeared, he was still injured, and was no longer carrying some of his equipment. He submitted to arrest, although he did not seem very distressed about his predicament. Arcade was promptly turned over to General Wilson, who was to take the criminal to a maximum security prison deep beneath a desert. Before being led away, he agreed to Ru's request to look her up the next time he was in the area. Halstein took a great interest in fighting Arcade, and went to Blackmaw to challenge him. The attending monks forbade a battle, but since the changeling assured him that he would be out soon enough, their duel was postponed. In preparation for this day, Halstein crafted Arcade a personal blade. Eventually, he presented him with the fledgling intelligent sword and the two dueled, though not to the death; Halstein was victorious. After he escaped from prison, the Geomancer's Wand indicated that Arcade could be once again be found on the shores of the Rheic Sea. A group consisting of Jura, Gorgoroth and Ru met him, and after indicating that he had been in continued correspondence with the Arch-Psion, Arcade agreed to join the party for their ensuing adventures. He could now easily be found in his camp on the Rheic Shores, if one was brave enough to go looking for him. Directly before the Pathfinders' final assault on the Bone Ziggurat, Ru asked him if he was coming to help. He blatently refused, and made light of the relationship Ru thought she had with him, devastating her. After all was said and done, Arcade vanished into obscurity. Quests *The Fire of Arcade (Complete) Category:NPC Category:Villain Category:Hireling